Dozens of patients in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina are waiting for an organ that can save their lives. In the Zenica Cantonal Hospital, 18 cadaveric explants have been performed in recent years. While the donor system is developing, Bosnia and Herzegovina is not yet part of Eurotransplant. What would membership mean for patients on waiting lists and how far are we from it?
KBZ is the largest donor hospital
Zenica Cantonal Hospital is currently the largest donor hospital in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Timely determination of brain death and discussions with the families of the deceased resulted in 18 cadaveric explantations, whereby 73 organs were explanted. For dozens of patients, this meant a new chance for life.
“The last explantation was on a 28-year-old young man who experienced trauma. The family selflessly and humanely decided to donate organs. Four lives were saved,” said Dr. Senada Čaušević, coordinator for transplantation and explantation of organs and tissues at the Zenica Cantonal Hospital.
How rare donation is is best shown by the fact that only about two percent of patients who come to the intensive care unit can become donors. Although citizens can confirm their decision to donate with a donor card during their lifetime, at the moment of death, the final consent for organ donation is given by the family.
“In my opinion, the most difficult thing is talking with the family. We have to ask about donating organs because we can’t wait. Organs should be in the best possible function in order to be transplanted – we have to think about the recipient,” explained Čaušević.
Hundreds of patients are waiting for an organ
In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, more than 160 patients are waiting for a new kidney, and more than 20 for a new heart. In addition to them, more than 2,000 patients are treated with dialysis. For many of them, the availability of organs means the difference between long-term therapy and the possibility of a better quality of life.
“Of that, one third could be transplanted, which means that the waiting list should be around 600 to 700 patients. People are not put on waiting lists because there are no calls, we don’t have cadaveric transplants,” said Tomislav Žuljević, president of the Management Board of the Association of Dialysis and Transplant Patients of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
What would Eurotransplant bring?
Eurotransplant is the largest organ exchange organization in Europe, and for our country, membership could also mean a greater number of available organs for patients on waiting lists.
Of particular importance would be the possibility of being included in the emergency lists for patients who urgently need transplantation. However, membership is not a one-way street. Bosnia and Herzegovina, in addition to the ability to receive organs from international exchange, would also have to be able to offer organs from its own donor system.
“We are a country that is quite complicated. We have three ministries of health – at the level of the Federation, Republika Srpska and the Brčko District. We do not have a health system at the state level. We need to harmonize legal regulations,” Žuljević pointed out.
Still a long way to membership
In order for Bosnia and Herzegovina to take the next step towards Eurotransplant, at least ten donors per million inhabitants are needed, or about 30 donors per year.
We still have to reach that goal. And until then, every donor means more than just a number in statistics – it means a chance for someone to receive an organ, and with it, a chance for a new life, Federalna writes.
